Monday, July 30, 2018

The Volunteer State Foundation is taking their
annual dinner out to the ranch this year for the new Swine and Dine fundraiser
on September 20. It’s designed to be a fun night of music, entertainment, and a
barbecue themed dinner by Chef Christopher. It will be held in the relaxed
atmosphere of the Bagsby Ranch in Gallatin. Money raised will be used to
support Vol State student scholarships and college special projects. There are
state programs that cover tuition for many students. However, not all students
are eligible for the state assistance, and those programs don’t cover all
expenses, such as textbooks.

The event
begins at 5:30 p.m. with cocktails and music by Bluegrass Ablaze. Dinner will
be followed by testimonials from scholarship recipients. The evening
continues with a game of chance called Heads or Tails with entertainment
provided by Tim “The Fiddleman” Watson.He’s a singer and fiddle player based in
Nashville who has opened shows for George Strait, George Jones, Lonestar, and
Keith Urban, among many others. Currently, Watson collaborates with Kid Rock, playing as part of his band, and has been a
featured artist in lineups headlined by Kid Rock.

Tickets for Swine and Dine are
$75/per person. To purchase tickets or to learn about sponsorship
opportunities, please contact Alison Muncy at 615 230-3506 or email alison.muncy@volstate.edu.

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) holds the annual Achievement
Awards in Audio Description to support the craft, important for bringing
events and entertainment to the blind community. This year a Vol State
humanities faculty member, Julia Cawthon, was among the recipients. This is the
award announcement:

Achievement in Audio Description – Visual Art /
Museums / Visitor Centers: Tennessee School for the Blind and Julia Cawthon,
Nashville, TN. For their hosting of a unique event on August 21, 2017
to bring a live audio description of the Solar Eclipse to all the blind and
visually impaired students at TSB and to thousands of blind people around the
world through the live broadcast on ACB Radio.

Monday, July 23, 2018

Kimberly
Helton is the new director of Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT). She has taught at Vol State since 2013. She also works
at Centennial Medical Center as a Medical Laboratory Scientist II. Medical
Laboratory Technicians collect samples from patients and perform tests
to analyze body fluids, tissue, and other substances. An MLT degree can lead to
many different career directions, including forensic science in law
enforcement.

“I love
my career. It’s a lot of fun to teach other people and get them excited about
MLT as well,” Helton said. “I would really like to expand in the future. We’re
going to be asking for more student seats for the program. We’re going to be
doing simulated labs for some areas and that should help us add more students.”

Helton
has also worked at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt Ingram
Cancer Center. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Lipscomb
University, and most recently a Master’s of Science in Medical Laboratory Science from the
University of Southern Mississippi.

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

The Testing Center in Gallatin is officially open for business today in their new home- Ramer 165. It is another step in the long-term plan to provide new students with a one-stop shop in the Ramer Building.

"The big thing is that Admissions, Advising, Testing, and Financial Aid are all in the same building," said Lisa Borre. "That's really convenient for our students. If Advising sends them to do testing, it's just down the hall."

The new center also has a second testing room, which will allow for additional testing down the road, including professional certification tests that students may need for their program.

Vol State study abroad student, Caroline Torres, meets the president of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, during a play intermission. Torres, right to president, is pictured here with Vol State Cookeville humanities faculty member Ami Price on the far right.

Monday, July 2, 2018

● Understand the administration of naloxone products,
including “Good Samaritan” protection law

● Recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and
identify its causes and risks

● Describe what NOT to do during an opioid overdose

● Follow the correct steps when encountering an opioid
overdose

The VISTA’S will be teaming up with Tiffany Zwart, from the
Office of Student Engagement and Support, in creating an ongoing Vol State campaign to
address student opioid awareness and prevention.

In order to maintain a
drug-free campus, Volunteer State Community College networks with the Sumner
County Anti-Drug Coalition (SCADC) in conjunction with the Coalition for
Healthy and Safe Campus Communities (CHASCo), and the Tennessee Highway Safety
Office Booze It or Lose It Program.

Vol State Discussion Board

The Vol State Gallatin Campus

The Vol State Insider is produced by the Office of Public Relations. It's a newsletter blog designed primarily for faculty and staff, although everyone is welcome to view and comment. You can contact us at pr@volstate.edu